Shame On Me
by DarkDreamer56
Summary: NS Nick gets Sara out of an awkward situation, and ends up creating a completely new one. Response to a challenge.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Shame On Me  
Author: DarkDreamer56  
Archive: If you want it, ask please!  
Rating: M  
Pairing: N/S  
Disclaimer: Not mine, but I'd be willing to trade…  
Spoilers: mild Season 6

A/N: This is a response to a challenge that Claire issued me. The title comes from the song "Shame On Me," by Ryan Cabrera, which I listened to on repeat while writing this, along with "Save a Horse, Ride A Cowboy," by Big and Rich. I'm sure you can all guess what this story is about :). No real plot here. Second chapter should be up tonight or tomorrow. Dedicated to Claire, hope this is up to your standards chica! And I loved your last chapter, but I will properly review it once I get home later.

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Nick couldn't help but chuckle at the smile plastered onto Sara's face as she shot him a wide eyed look from across the crowded club that screamed _help me_.

"Warrick, man, I'll be right back. Looks like Tina got Sar in a little over her head." Nick clapped Warrick on the shoulder as his friend looked past him and chuckled.

Warrick had invited Nick, Sara, and Greg out for the night with him and Tina. Greg had brought along his newest obsession, the newest DNA lab tech Wendy, and disappeared twenty minutes ago into the sea of madness before them. Tina had run into some people from work while she and Sara had gone to get their second round of drinks, and now it seemed Sara had been caught by one of the guys.

Nick had watched the interaction from the corner of his eye, ever since Tina had returned without Sara, proclaiming that Alan, one the doctors she worked with, seemed to take an interest in Sara. She and Warrick exchanged a knowing smile, and Nick had kept an eye on the two across the room ever since, trying to convince himself that he was just watching out for Sara. In his line of work, he knew what could happen to a woman that met some random guy in a club. When he saw the panicked look on her face as she silently pleaded for his help from across the room, he ignored the relieved feeling that washed over him.

As he left Warrick waiting for Tina to return with another round, Nick decided to have a little fun in the process; it wasn't often they got Sara out to a club, and Nick planned on fully taking advantage of the opportunity in front of him. He knew the perfect way of getting Alan to leave Sara alone, and it would end up being a winning situation for Nick to, so long as Sara didn't decide afterwards to remove a certain part of his anatomy.

He walked towards Sara and Alan, but instead of walking right up to them, he circled around, through the crowd, so that he could approach Sara from behind. She looked back at him briefly, shooting him a quizzical look while trying to look interested in whatever Alan was telling her.

Nick felt her sharp intake of breath as he rested his hands on either side of her hips, and enjoyed the look that crossed Alan's face right before his eyes narrowed and sent death rays in Nick's direction.

A grin spread across Nick's face as he reached an arm out, wrapping his other arm around Sara's abdomen in the process. His chest was flush with her back for a moment, while he waited for Alan to acknowledge him. "Nick Stokes," he introduced.

"Alan Tremont," Alan answered warily, eyeing Nick as he tentatively shook his hand. Nick tried not to roll his eyes as Alan attempted to out grip him in the process.

"So you work with Tina?" Nick asked, as if it were perfectly natural for him to be standing in a crowded club with his arms around Sara. Sara turned her head, giving Nick a very confused look. He merely smiled, raising one eyebrow at her, and squeezed her hip gently as if to say _I know what I'm doing_.

"I'm an anesthesiologist over at Desert State actually. Tina is one of the nurses on our floor." As Alan's chest puffed out a little bit, Nick allowed himself to roll his eyes this time; Sara deserved much better than this guy.

"Well, that's something now." Nick grinned, enjoying the effect he was having on Sara. He could feel her begin to fidget, slightly rocking back and forth on her heels in the little room between their bodies. She glanced back at Nick quickly, and not even the din of the club could hide the blush on her cheeks. He rubbed his thumb across her hipbone, pleased with both the shiver that seemed to run up her spine at the gesture, and the narrowing of Alan's eyes. This alone was worth the cover charge.

He noticed that Sara had been silent the entire time, choosing instead to sip on the drink in her hand. Nick wasn't sure if this meant she was pissed beyond belief at him, or if she was actually content to go along with this little charade; he thought it was the former, as she didn't really seem to mind his arms around her, other than the flush on her cheeks.

"So…Nick, was it? What do you do exactly?"

"I'm a criminalist, just like Sara here." Nick squeezed her hip again, amused as Alan's eyes traveled from Sara, down the line of Nick's arms.

"You two are coworkers then?"

Nick winked. "Among other things. Now, you wouldn't mind if I stole Sara here for a minute, would ya? Someone promised me a dance earlier." Nick laid his drawl on thick.

"Sure, uh, no problem." Alan's look was deflating by the minute, widening Nick's grin even further.

"Nice meeting you there Alan. I'm sure we'll see you around sometime."

With that, Nick plucked Sara's drink from her hand, handing it to Alan with a smirk, and whisked Sara off towards the crowded dance floor before Alan could say anything else. They found a spot relatively unoccupied, and Nick pulled her towards him.

Sara seemed to have recovered in the time it took them to find a spot, and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Among other things?"

Nick chuckled. "We're coworkers…we're friends, we're running partners…we're co-conspirators when we cheat at rummy with Warrick and Greg. Lots of things. If he wants to assume that that means something else as well, then let him. It got you away from him, didn't it?" Personally, Nick wouldn't mind if something else became a term that applied to his relationship with Sara, but he wasn't sure exactly what she thought of that. It was encouraging that Sara didn't seem to mind his particular way of getting Alan to leave her alone. Maybe it was time for him to explore that, but for now he was happy just to get the chance to dance with her.

A smile spread across Sara's face. "Thanks for getting me away from him. He was nice, but just a little bit too much. I just wasn't expecting…well, that." She blushed again, a look that Nick found incredibly endearing.

"You know," Nick whispered as loudly as he could against the pulsating music, "he's probably watching us now…you might want to look a little more, well, interested in this."

"Like this?" Sara asked, moving a few inches closer, running her hands up his arms and shoulders, and around his neck. The smile on her face was coy, but slightly nervous, encouraging Nick.

Nick tried to suppress a grin, failing miserably, as he cocked his head to the side as if in thought. "We're getting there," he announced, pulling her the rest of the way to him, their hips flush as his arms wrapped around her waist. "That's better."

Sara began to move her hips seductively along with the music. This time it was Nick who had a sudden intake of breath as he could feel Sara's body pressed tightly against him, moving in rhythm with the music. It took Nick a minute to process, but he eventually began moving along with her. Who knew that Sara Sidle, queen of forensic journals and overtime, knew how to move her hips like that? Nick could feel his body reacting to the movement and proximity of Sara's body, and he also knew that there was no way that Sara didn't notice. When she didn't slap him or storm off towards Tina and Warrick, but rather began to play with the hair at the nape of his neck, and, if it were possible, press her breasts even further against his chest, Nick chanced a look up into her eyes. The nervousness had disappeared, and had been replaced by a smoky lust that Nick had never seen in Sara's eyes before.

"Does this look interested enough?" she whispered, trailing her fingers lightly up and down his neck.

Nick swallowed hard before answering. "I think it's pretty convincing." And deciding to address the elephant in the room, so to speak, he added, "And I think it's pretty apparent how interested I am."

Sara smirked, leaning dangerously close to his lips. "That's the best part." Nick's eyes nearly rolled back into his head as Sara's grinding became more controlled and focused on one particular area. He found himself trying consciously not to thrust his hips towards her, but his mind quickly lost that battle. His one hand started rubbing at the small of her back while the other traveled dangerously lower, until he was cupping one cheek and pulling her closer, eliciting a gasp from Sara that he felt against his ear.

Nick wanted desperately to kiss her, hell, he wanted desperately to haul her off to the bathroom and screw her senseless, but his last shred of sanity was screaming that he sure as hell better make sure this was happening for the right reasons before he screwed their friendship beyond repair.

"Sar," he whispered roughly, taking a deep breath and trying to gather his thoughts into some kind of coherent form. Sara's body moving against his was certainly not helping him retain higher brain functions, but he couldn't bring himself to push her away or still her hips. "How much of this is us…how much of this is putting on a show?"

This did not seem to be the question Sara was expecting, for her hips stopped moving quite as ardently against Nick. She paused a moment before answering. "Well, I believe you're the one that started this _show_. But if you want a percentage…" Sara cocked her head to the side, a sexy smile tugging at her lips. "Ninety ten?" Nick could live with those numbers. And the way things were going, Nick thought he had a fairly good shot at swinging that percentage to a perfect score by the end of the night.

"And I'm not drunk…and the thought of this has occurred to me once or twice." Sara's last confession was made with a bit of a blush, the first sign of the Sara that knew best shining through in the past ten minutes. Not that he didn't enjoy the brazen, sexy side she had introduced him too; he just wasn't accustomed to it.

Nick let out a chuckle, rubbing circles across the small of her back. "Darlin, multiply that by about a million, and you'll get my thoughts on the subject." Sara blushed again, rolling her eyes. "You don't believe me? Do you have any idea how sexy you are? And," he added, expecting the reflexive denial that was hardwired into Sara's personality, "it's not just the dress, or the dancing, or the alcohol."

Of course, Nick thought that Sara was gorgeous in her forensics coveralls, but he didn't mind being treated to the sight of Sara in that dress. It was black, spaghetti strapped, and a great deal shorter than anything Nick had imagined her owning. Nick would never tire of seeing those legs, an opportunity he didn't often get. Strappy black heels and tousled curls completed the look; it was no wonder that Alan had taken an interest in her.

"Mmm…not so bad yourself Cowboy." Sara ran her arms over his shoulders appreciatively, and Nick couldn't resist the urge to move one hand slowly up her back and tangle it in her hair before pulling her head towards his waiting lips.

Just as their lips were about to make contact, Nick felt a sharp jab over his right kidney, propelling him forward. Sara moved her head out of the way just in time to avoid a head on collision, but lost her balance in the process. Instinctively, Nick's arms wrapped tighter around her body, stopping her body from losing the war with gravity. Nick turned around, pissed, wanting to find out the source of his agitation.

"Sorry about that…hey, there you guys are," Greg exclaimed over the music, surprised to see Nick and Sara behind him and Wendy. "Sorry, didn't know it was you behind us." Greg shrugged apologetically, wrapping an arm around Wendy before he added, "Warrick was looking for you two."

If Greg noticed the flushed look on their faces, he chose not to comment. Reluctantly, Nick released Sara, realizing it probably wasn't a good idea to appear so cozy in front of Greg while they were still trying to figure out what the hell was going on between them. Nick ran a hand through his hair in frustration, immediately feeling the loss of contact between him and Sara keenly. And if he wasn't mistaken, so was Sara, if they way she crossed her arms over her chest but moved ever so close until their arms were touching again, was any indication.

"So, you having fun Greg?" Sara asked.

"Oh yeah, it's been awhile since I've done the club scene, but this place is pretty cool. We're gonna grab some more drinks, do you guys want anything?"

Nick shook his head. "I think we're gonna go find Warrick and Tina, but thanks man."

"Alright, we'll see you guys later then," Greg shouted over the noise before he and Wendy turned and made their way through the crowd towards the bar.

Nick sighed as he watched them walk away, before turning towards Sara with a slightly apprehensive expression. "So…" He knew how he felt about what had just occurred between them, but he wasn't exactly sure that Sara felt the same. As much as he'd rather stay and see what else could happen, he knew they really needed to talk.

"We should probably talk, huh?" Sara interrupted. Nick grinned, rubbing his chin.

"You read my mind. You want to get out of here, go back to your place?"

Sara smiled. "Why don't I go find Warrick and Tina, and you can…go take care of that." She glanced down, smirking at the obvious struggle against the confines of his pants.

Nick smirked back. "I'll meet you by the door in a few minutes."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: see first chapter

A/N: Watch the rating kiddies. It's about to get a little steamy…if that's not your thing, or you're not legal yet, hit that little back button.

Claire: Special brownies indeed. With a naked George in your kitchen, I'm surprised that you had time to actually make the brownies. Or review. But I appreciate the frosting picture. And the mental image of a naked George in the kitchen. It helped to hasten the production of this chapter. Do you enjoy my use of hasten? I do (it's been a very long, very strange day for me…).

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Ten minutes, and one stop in the men's room later, and Nick found Sara a few feet away from the exit, anxiously scanning the crowd for him.

"Ready to go?" Nick asked, placing his hand at the small of her back and guiding her towards the door. Sara smiled, nodding and allowing him to guide her outside. "Did you find Warrick and Tina?"

"Yeah, I told them I had a headache and that you were taking me home." Nick supposed that was better than admitting they had nearly mauled each other on the dance floor, and were now going back to Sara's to discuss what exactly that meant.

They made their way across the parking lot quickly, and Nick used the remote access to unlock the doors to his Denali before opening the passenger door. Sara climbed in and he shut it quickly behind her before practically jogging around to the driver's side.

It appeared that Sara had developed a case of nerves in the time in took Nick to get into the car, because while he started the engine, she began to nervously drum her fingers on the console between them. He caught them with his right hand, entwining their fingers as he navigated out of the parking lot and the short distance to Sara's apartment.

The drive was silent, both contemplating exactly what they needed to talk about. Nick finally turned into an empty parking spot outside of Sara's and killed the engine. He shifted to face her, finally releasing her hand.

"So…" Sara started, smiling nervously as she turned towards him. Nick couldn't help but smile back, despite the butterflies that had taken up residence in his stomach during the short drive.

"So…" he echoed, rubbing his hand over his head briefly. "Look Sar…I think it's pretty apparent that we're attracted to each other…and I know for me at least, that it's not a recent development."

"Me neither," she added quietly, tracing the hem of her dress with her fingers.

"And the way things were heading tonight…is this what we want?" Nick realized the question was vague, but he wasn't exactly sure what Sara wanted.

"What do you want?" she asked, looking up into his eyes

Nick knew he wanted it all, but he would take whatever Sara was willing to give him. "What do you want Sara?"

She sighed and averted her eyes from Nick's. Nick knew she didn't want to say what she wanted, but he couldn't tell if it was because she didn't want to hurt him, or if it was because she didn't think that he wanted everything that she did. Sara had always sold herself short in that department. After a few minutes of silence, Nick decided to take a risk. He wasn't sure that he wasn't wrong, but if he was interpreting their years of interactions correctly, he thought he was right.

"Sara…there's a couple ways this could go." He reached out for her hand again. "We're attracted to each other, and something's bound to happen…if not tonight, then sometime. Maybe it's a one time thing, or maybe it's more than that…"

"Friends with benefits?" she interrupted nervously, not quite meeting his eyes as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear. If Nick wasn't mistaken, she sounded almost disappointed at the prospect.

"Yeah, something like that. Or…" Nick took a deep breath before he continued, "we could see where this thing leads. Because I think it's about more than just sex." Nick looked up cautiously, uncertain of her reaction to that confession.

He watched her face as a myriad of emotions crossed her face. He hadn't meant for his confession to come out sounding so blunt, but it was true. He was definitely physically attracted to her, but after years of friendship, he knew that that wasn't everything. She made him smile, she was there for him when he needed her, and sometimes she made him infuriated beyond belief. And he didn't want to trade any of that for a one night stand, as much as he wanted her.

"I care about you a lot, and not as just a friend. I'd like to see what could happen if we decided to explore what this is between us. Sar…I don't think I'd be happy with anything else." There, he had said it, now she knew how he felt and could make her decision with the facts, rather than with her own insecurities.

Confusion, happiness, even skepticism washed over her face. Her voice was a whisper when she finally spoke. "You want…me?" She sounded so unsure, and Nick wanted to hurt every man in her past that had made her believe no one could ever want her.

He gave her a sad smile, tenderly reaching over to tuck another loose strand behind her ear. "Yeah, I do. More than anything. So, it's up to you. What do you want Sara?"

Sara's eyes shone brightly, telling him everything he wanted to know. Her voice was barely a whisper, but Nick heard it loud and clear. "I want you."

Sara leaned over the console, and before Nick knew what was happening, their lips meet in a searing kiss. It took Nick several seconds to process what was happening, but soon he regained control enough to flip the console up between them and pull her closer. She ran a hand up his chest, before letting it glide silkily up his neck and over his chin. She grazed his cheek with her fingertips before she wrapped her arm around his neck, playing with the hair at the base of his neck. Nick's hand became tangled in her hair as he pulled her as close as physically possible; he wanted to devour her, and from the frenzy in her kiss, apparently Sara wanted to do the same to him. Nick's tongue probed her lips hungrily, wanting to explore every crevasse of her mouth. Sara readily complied, moaning as their tongues made contact for the first time.

Nick could feel himself becoming aroused again, and he couldn't stifle the groan as Sara began lightly trailing her fingers up from his knee, until they wandered to the inside of his thigh. She rubbed deliberate circles higher and higher, everywhere but where Nick needed her the most. She kept this up for several torturous minutes before she finally gave in and firmly cupped him in her hand, squeezing gently. Nick gasped as she kneaded him with the lightest of pressure; enough to let him know that she was there, but hardly the amount that he craved.

"Do you like that Nicky?" she murmured huskily, pulling back from their kiss momentarily. A thrust of his hips towards hers indicated that he did.

Nick studied the woman before him through hungry eyes. Her chest was heaving as she fought to catch her breath. There was a glow in Sara's eyes that Nick had never seen before, poorly masked behind desire and flushed cheeks. At that moment, the only thing wanted more than to take her right there, in the front of his Denali, was to put her through the same slow torture that she was currently engaging him in. So he leaned forward, but instead of taking her mouth again, Nick latched onto the side of her neck.

Sara gasped as he trailed kisses down her neck to the curve where it met her shoulder. The hand in his hair pressed his head into her fully, and soon she needed to lean back against the window for support. Nick chuckled, sending pleasant reverberations across her skin, delighting in the shiver he felt run down her spine.

Nick decided to up the ante, using his free hand to slide up her body, practically pliable in his arms, until he reached the underside of her breast. He traced along the curve of her breast briefly, before finally giving in to temptation and enveloping it with his hand. He squeezed a few times, and then brushed his thumb over her nipple, enjoying the way it hardened beneath his touch.

Between those sensations, and the way that Nick was nipping at her collarbone, Sara was quickly becoming undone. Her breathing was labored, her head tilted back against the cool glass of the passenger door, and her hand was finally applying more pressure as she continued to knead him.

"Nick," she moaned, and he loved the sound of his name tumbling from her lips. "Nick…we need to stop."

Nick was busy kissing along her shoulder and pushing the strap of her dress down ahead of the line he was following, but that stopped him cold. It took a few seconds longer for the message to reach the hand that had been massaging her breast over her dress, but Nick was finally able to pull away, looking up into her lust filled eyes with confusion.

"Isn't the best place," she explained between pants. "We need…upstairs…now." Nick wasn't sure whether he had short circuited her brain, or whether she was just too out of breath to form a complete sentence. Either was fine with him, and he grinned at her.

"You're the one with the keys darlin," he replied. When Sara removed her hands from his body and tried to smooth out her dress, Nick felt a sense of loss. All the more reason for him to hurry them up and get upstairs, where they could continue this properly.

Nick took a few deep breaths, realizing it was going to be a painful journey to her apartment, but well worth it once they got upstairs.

By the time they reached her front door, Nick wasn't even sure if he's remembered to lock the car behind them, but he realized he didn't care. His hands had been kept carefully to himself, afraid that if he reached out to brush her skin for even a second, it would be his undoing. Sara didn't seem to be faring much better, if the fact that she had to brace one hand against her door was any indication. Her other hand practically shook as she tried to force the key into the lock.

Nick couldn't help but chuckle at the situation, when Sara looked up at him sheepishly while fumbling for the next key on her keychain. That one seemed to be it, as the door swung open. Nick followed, and had Sara pinned against the door almost before it was even closed. One hand slid up the bare flesh of her thigh, taking the hem of her dress with it, until he was grasping her hip through the thin material of her panties. His leg nudged hers open, thrusting upward and leaving her no choice but to remain straddled over his thigh, as his mouth claimed the other side of her neck hungrily.

"Mmm, eager, are we?" she purred into his ear, as she ran her hands up underneath the front of his shirt. Nick could feel each muscle in his abdomen, and then chest, quiver as her fingernails raked lightly over his skin.

Nick responded by sliding his hand around her hip to grip her butt, and then pulled her across his thigh to his waiting hips. His erection strained to free itself from the confines of his pants, as Sara whimpered, grinding herself on his thigh and removing her hands from under his shirt. Nick was disappointed at the loss of contact, until her felt her fumbling with the buttons of his shirt.

This inspired Nick to reach for the zipper on the side of Sara's dress before pulling one strap, and then the other down her shoulder. He watched as the dress pooled to her waist, before he realized he was going to have to reposition himself to remove it entirely. He stilled her hips with his hands, trying to steady her as he removed his thigh and let the dress fall to the floor. Sara stepped out of it as carefully as she could, pressing her body against his fully after pushing his shirt down his shoulders. She seized his lips while simultaneously trying to kick off her shoes.

"Now who's the eager one?" Nick teased, mumbling against her lips as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Bedroom…now," she commanded, already pulling his belt out of its loops.

By the time they finally made it to Sara's bedroom door, Nick had lost everything but his boxers, and had gained a nice bump on the back of his head from running into one of the walls in the hallway. Twice. A lamp lay forsaken next to the table it had once stood on, shade askew, somewhere in the middle of their trail of clothing.

Nick turned them around in the doorway, and then propelled Sara back and onto her bed. They scooted up the bed, engaged in a passionate kiss. Nick ran one hand down her stomach and across the only article of clothing she had left, before dipping down and running two fingers across her most intimate place. Her hips bucked wildly up and off the bed, and Nick obliged her, removing the barrier of clothing between her and his fingers. He kissed a trail down her neck to her chest, taking one breast into his mouth and rolling the nipple of her other between his free thumb and forefinger, all the while working her with his other fingers.

Sara's eyes were squeezed shut, head arched back against the pillows, and Nick knew that he wouldn't make it much longer, listening to the moan's escaping through her full lips.

He wasn't prepared for her being cognizant enough to slip her hand underneath his boxers and grip him hard, before giving several strokes down his length. He couldn't stop the light hiss from escaping as she stroked him at the same rhythm he was working her. His boxers quickly made their way down his hips until he reached back and pulled them off fully, and flung them somewhere across the room.

"Nick…now, please," she panted, meeting the involuntary thrust of his hips.

"We need…I need to get…" Nick found it very difficult to form a complete sentence, but Sara figured out what he meant well enough.

"I'm on the pill, its okay. Now Nick."

Nick wasn't about to argue. He guided himself into her gently. It took a minute for them both to adjust to the new sensation, but soon Sara's hips were meeting Nick's with every thrust. It wasn't long before Nick heard the short moans indicating Sara's very imminent release, and when he felt her inner muscles flex around him, he was pushed over the edge with one last thrust.

They both struggled to catch their breath as Nick pulled out and rolled off of her, pulling her with him. They lay in silence for a few minutes, reveling in the afterglow. Nick loved the way that Sara fit perfectly pressed against his side, hand draped low across his abdomen, with her head positioned on his shoulder.

"Wow," Sara whispered a few minutes later, blowing a sweaty piece of hair out of her face.

Nick chuckled. "That good, huh?"

Sara looked up at him wide eyed. "Wow."

"You mentioned that before. And I agree." Nick placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head and pulled her closer.

"Did we really just do that?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah we did."

"You may have to remind me this is real when we wake up," she murmured, running her hand idly across his rock hard abdomen.

"Every day," he whispered, unable to hide the grin on his face as she beamed up at him sleepily, her eyes slowly losing the battle with fatigue as she snuggled into his side and sighed in contentment. It was only after Sara had been asleep for awhile, and Nick had had the chance to study every freckle on her face, every variation in her deep and even breathing, that he finally allowed himself to succumb to sleep, knowing that she would be waiting in his arms when he awoke.

FIN.

A/N: Okay, a little smut, a little fluff…hope you enjoyed! I tried going for pure smut, but all that damn fluff just kept sneaking its way in. Happy Thursday!


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